Couple hunt for wedding venue after golf club fire

A couple say they are back to square one after a major fire at the golf club they had booked for their wedding reception.

About 60 firefighters tackled the blaze in the clubhouse of the West Essex Golf Club, Waltham Abbey, on Monday afternoon.

Vanessa Curto and Joe Mintz had booked the venue for up to 200 guests, to take place in June.

"It was just the perfect location," said Mintz, adding that he initially thought the news was "a wind-up".

West Essex Golf Club dates back 125 years and its two-storey clubhouse opened in 1989.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said crews were sent from 11 stations across Essex, as well as nearby crews from London and Hertfordshire.

The blaze was eventually extinguished by 18:45 GMT, with no reports of any injuries.

Fire investigators have since concluded that it started accidentally during roofing works.

Mintz, 30, from nearby Abridge, got engaged to his 22-year-old fiancé, who is from Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, in October.

They chose to hold their reception at the golf club having attended an anniversary party there.

"The management were incredible, the price, everything involved - it was just an absolute dream for us, so now it's basically back to square one," said Mintz, speaking to BBC Essex presenter Sonia Watson.

He said he "thought it was AI" when he first saw footage of the fire.

Mintz said his fiancé was the last person to find out in the family, as her phone was in a locker while she was working.

"We tried to be as positive as we could and thought 'there's nothing we can do, there's no point moping'," said Mintz.

"We just got online and have just been frantically searching for somewhere [else] to go."

Mintz said he and his fiancé had received lots of offers of support from friends and family, but although they had been told they would receive their deposit back, they were struggling to find another venue within their budget.

"We've had that reassurance that no matter what happens, we will be fine - which I'm sure we will be but it's just not going to be an easy journey, that's all."

West Essex Golf Club was one of the original 16 founding members of the Essex Golf Union.

Now known as Essex Golf, the umbrella organisation has nearly 70 affiliated golf courses across Essex.

A spokesperson for Essex Golf said it extended "our heartfelt sympathy to the members, staff and friends of West Essex Golf Club" after the "catastrophic" incident.

"We are thankful no-one was injured, it could easily have been much worse," they added.

"May the strength of your membership, and the love for our sport help bring resilience, unity and a speedy return to normality."

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